Posts Tagged ‘life of a senior citizen’

Finally yesterday, we were able to fix mom’s problem regarding her pension. Have to wait in line for more than two hours before we were interviewed by the SSS in-charge of senior citizens’ affairs. He asked why it was not honored by the bank. I told him, it is all about her signature. He said, “Nay, I will allow you any type of signature here, your physical presence is more important”. He told me further that the bank “is just ago-between SSS and the pensioner, it is your money, not theirs”. Gosh, I can’t believe it, SSS is more lenient than the bank itself. The clerk-in-charge did not recommend guardianship since only one would be able to represent mom whereas if we have those requirements for a legit representative, any one of us, her kids would be able to renew her pension. He wrote all those required papers we have to produce. If she could no longer sign and can no longer go to any branch at SSS, she could use a thumb mark with a letter of authority thumb marked too, ID of the representative,a barangay clearance, sketch of the house where she lives, and a latest picture showing her reading a newspaper with the latest date clearly visible. Things that would prove she is still alive.

Some requirements but I think it is better to go directly to SSS than to suffer such inconvenience with the bank. The frontliner at the bank even told me that SSS is strict now since she won’t give me an ACOP form to fill up. I was able to acquire two extra sheets at SSS. How’s that BPI? Why can’t you serve your customer in a manner that would not inconvenience them?

My goodness. I am just pissed that the bank didn’t honor the renewal application of mom’s SSS benefits because her signature is different from when she applied years ago. She is the beneficiary of dad so she has to renew it every year, go to the bank and sign ACOP (Annual Confirmation of Pensioner’s Program). She almost couldn’t see the line allotted for her signature. I only received the bank’s advice that the ACOP was rejected by their branch manager a few minutes after we got home.

They referred us to an SSS branch where she needs to elect a guardian to represent her. My older brother accompanied us to the bank. Mom finds it hard to go out without a car so we have to wait for my brother’s free time so he could drive for us. SSS (Social Security System) is always full. You need to fall in line and wait for a long time before you can be served. Even a simple inquiry needs a number so they could attend to you. I hope they find a way to make home visits to our senior citizenry who could no longer fix their pensions on their own. Such is the kind of government we have, simply lacking. They are not compassionate about the aged population. What if a pensioner is ill and could no longer walk or something?

Come Monday, we have to accompany mom again and go to SSS for that update.

When I am not gardening, I am holding a book or my tab and when I am not holding a book, I am in front of my computer blogging or updating our page on FB.

The routine of a senior citizen. They vary every weekend of course when the kid are around. That’s when I experiment on some recipes in the kitchen depending on what fresh ingredients we find at the market.

Don’t get me wrong. I am happy as it is. A friend asked me once why don’t I travel? We do go on road trips but going far is no longer an option for me. Since I got sick, my immune system sort of weakened too. My goodness, I am even afraid to get colds because it usually take almost a month before I get well. I wear face mask when I go out. The pollution in Metro Manila is such that you won’t really feel safe when you ride a public transport. I feel okay of course when I am riding in the car.

Ah, gardening!

Yes, I love my garden. This morning I planted a few seeds of mini-zinnias which I bought yesterday at the supermarket along with a packet of ampalaya (bitter gourd) seeds. The seeds of the eggplant I bought two weeks ago have germinated. Maybe in three weeks I could transfer them to pots. Really looking forward to summer when these seeds will have grown. Done with trimming the carabao grass over the weekend. It’s a monthly ritual, otherwise the grass would grow long and it is not nice to see. My Amazon lilies are starting to bloom again. The Crossandras are sprouting everywhere. I have Shamrock in green and purple. I love its tiny white flowers. How I wish I was able to grow another Gardenia before our lone plant died last year. I replaced it with Ti plants and they are thriving well.

Hmm…books!

I love books but of course. Who doesn’t? I am in awe of the new books I found lately. The authors are simply gifted. I read at night before going to bed and sometimes before I take a nap in the afternoon.

Oh, blogging!

So far I’ve been able to turn up a post every day. I wonder how long this blogging muse would stay. I would like to thank those new followers. One of these days, I will try to visit your blogs.

I turned sixty more than a month ago, finally having that much-awaited SC card. There are so many perks attached to being a senior in our country. You have the cinemas for free at certain days of the week or having discounts on other days. I am not much of a cinema fan though so I have not availed yet of free movies and such. Maybe, when I am not that busy anymore and could find time to see a movie, I will. What I did manage to make use of that card in a big restaurant was when Nissa, Josef and I dined at Vikings Marikina on my birthday. And it’s not because I am a senior but they give free lunch or dinner to birthday celebrators for the month. I enjoy the perks of a 20% discount though at Jollibee and McDonald’s. Almost every Sunday we attend mass early and have our breakfast at Jollibee. I love their longganisa with poached egg and a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. They also give a free copy of Philippine Star (one of our national dailies). That at least makes me enjoy dining out at fast food restaurants. Jollibee is a home-grown food chain which has also become famous in other countries. Some grocery items also have discounts depending on what you will buy and if it is included in their list. Hotels and travels have 20% discounts too.

It’s taking a long time for my Social Security pension to be credited to my account. SSS said it usually takes two months to process such. I wonder what’s taking them that long. Hopefully, by January I’ll be able to enjoy it.

Talk about the joys of blogging. Imagine a grandma blogging still and enjoying reading other blog posts. Sometimes, I just could not keep up with those wonderful posts I see here on WordPress. And I noticed too that most bloggers I follow are in their senior years like me. Well, base on experience, they have more things to share and more wonderful happenings in their lives. We talk about our kids, how successful they have become. We talk about our grandkids, how we enjoy their company and their presence in our lives. We talk about several things like photography, gardening, trying new recipes, visiting places and our daily struggles in life. We learn, oh how we learn from other bloggers.

I follow a certain blogger here Ana Linden. She’s giving away free copies of her e-books until December 31st I think. I just downloaded them They have 5 stars at Goodreads.

It is quite amazing to see the local government at work. It was an enjoyable visit to the OSCA (Office of Senior Citizens Affairs) to apply for my SC card. It was a good twenty minutes wait then I got my official ID. I am all set to enjoy the perks and privileges of a senior citizen….hooray!

Next I went to Philhealth for an update of my Member’s Data Record. I am now officially a non-paying member. Gone are the monthly payments of health premiums starting October this year. The commute going there was longer than the time I spent at their office, a mere five minutes. Seniors are always on the priority lanes allotted in each establishment. It’s quite nice to see and feel the difference.

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It's been some years since I started this blog. Supposedly, it was only to share my plight as a cancer patient and survivor but over the years it has somehow evolved into something personal about my life and my family.
So really glad to have met you all wonderful people out there. Someone commented once that he liked the title of this blog, Dreams and Escapes. Dream on, there are more things in life than we really think. Be happy, you only live once. Sometimes you also need an escape from the vicissitudes of life and this blog helps me cope. Welcome. Feel free to leave your comments, I do welcome them.

This is just my 89th post after three years of blogging. But I have always been updated with my main blog. You can find the link here on the right corner of the blog. I’ve recently took shots of our garden blooms. Summer is here and more blooms could be seen. […]

I have a whole album of quotes that I made into memes. Some are passages from the Bible, some are words from famous people. This is one of them. Gosh, it took me so long to update this blog but I regularly post in my main blog, Dreams and Escapes. Good morning everyone 🙂

I want first of all, to be at peace with myself. I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life that will enable me to carry out….obligations and activities as well as I can. I want in fact – to borrow from the language of the Saints – […]

I love mums in all its different colors. It’s one thing that I once attempted to grow in my garden but it didn’t survive. It is a hardy flower though and need full sun and well-draining soil. I actually bought this cluster in a pot and it was expensive but it didn’t last long. My […]

Oh my goodness, I was busy keeping my main site updated that I clearly forgot to visit this blog for quite a while. Shame on me. I miss those times we used to go on road trips and discover places. I miss those days just driving around and seeing those beautiful and lovely views of […]

These flowers used to be permanent fixtures in my small garden. I had the lone shrub for years and it produces such lovely white flowers every year. Some months ago, the leaves slowly turned yellow then they dried up to brittle brown ones. This afternoon, my son and I decided to finally put it […]